Well I survived the Christmas shopping days. There is
nothing better than watching people shopping like it’s the end of the world.
Grocery stores and department stores closed for one day has turned normal people
into crazed lunatics. Shopping carts of food loaded down with enough supplies
to last for weeks. And their driving habits are to die for.
As I’m working department stores and grocery stores I take 30
minutes out of my busy day to grab something to eat while sitting in the
company truck while listening to Christmas music. During that time two cars at different times,
both driven by women, nearly collided with me. As they backed away from my park truck, not
once did they remove the cell phone from their ear. Not once did they even
mouth the words “I’m sorry”. But they clearly understood the words I was
mouthing to them.
But the fun continued on through the day as I was working my
last store at closing time. A store that for the past month and ½ has posted on the door the closing time on
Christmas Eve, 6 PM. As I am walking out the door at about 5:50 PM there was a
caravan type atmosphere of cars entering the parking area. Dodging an army of
lost shopping carts left by the previous hoarders, they circled the parking lot
as sharks onto a lost surfer.
Before I could even make it to the truck a car broke off
from the pack and followed me like the character Jason from the Halloween
movies. As any vendor will tell you, after a long day when you’re getting in
your vehicle to go home, you just want to relax a bit. To unwind and reduce as
much work stress as possible before going home to one’s family but not that
night.
This person made it clear that he wanted my parking spot and
was very helpful in letting me know that it was safe to leave. Using the
highlight beams from his car, the turn signal and the fact that as cars were
coming and going in other parking areas, he didn’t move a bit. He eventually
gave up though as a patrol car clearly motioned for him to move. As he left , I
started up the company truck and pulled out as another person quickly took the
vacant spot.
But by then it was too late. The store was finally closed. A
long line of customers checking out with a long line of people standing and staring
at a locked door in a weird and demonic way felt good. Heading home I had
dinner, checked my emails, set up the satellite box to copy some shows and then
I took a nap. Afterwards as the kids finally went to sleep, we did what all
parents do and got the livingroom ready for the next morning.
By morning the stress of the holiday shoppers was far from
my mind as Christmas day was filled with more important feelings than the image
of a man begging to get into a closed grocery store to buy a turkey for
Christmas dinner.
No comments:
Post a Comment